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At last, Vibri is free. Sony announced today that PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura's vector-graphics rhythm game Vib-Ribbon will hit the PlayStation Network tomorrow, marking its long-awaited North American debut.

Released for the original PlayStation in 1999, Vib-Ribbon puts players in control of Vibri, a bizarre rabbit-like creature who must vault on-screen obstacles in time to a backing music track. In a novel twist at the time, Vib-Ribbon allowed players to insert their own music CDs and create playable levels based on individual tracks, often upping the game's challenge far beyond the difficulty of its default soundtrack.

Though Vib-Ribbon was released in Japan and Europe, a North American version never surfaced. This week's PSN release will be the first time Vib-Ribbon is officially available in the United States, and Sony notes that its CD-scanning feature will arrive on the PlayStation 3 fully intact.

Released in arcades in 1999, Strider 2 chronicles the unlikely acrobatic adventures of its ninja star Strider Hiryu, who scales gigantic structures and battles robotic creatures within a futuristic cityscape. The latest series entry, Strider, premiered earlier this year as a downloadable console and PC release. Hiryu also appears in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, most recently returning in 2011's Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

The PSone version of Strider 2 includes a port of 1989's Strider arcade game, which will be bundled with next week's downloadable PSN release. Strider 2 will be available for the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita on October 7.

GungHo hopes to "bring over as many PSOne Classics as possible," and previously spearheaded North American releases for games like Zanac X Zanac and Makeruna Makendo 2. GungHo's PSOne import games are priced at $5.99 apiece.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunghoplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-vitaps3psonepsone-classicspsone-importspspsonyvitaTue, 13 May 2014 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/18/playstation-99-cent-sale-discounts-tokyo-jungle-super-stardust/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/18/playstation-99-cent-sale-discounts-tokyo-jungle-super-stardust/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/18/playstation-99-cent-sale-discounts-tokyo-jungle-super-stardust/#comments
The PlayStation Network Store is hosting a flash sale for dozens of games this weekend, each discounted to 99 cents. The sale spans PS3, Vita and PSP games as well as both PS2 and PSOne Classics, such as the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon series.

The sale features standout gems like PopCap's Plants vs Zombies, Jonathan Blow's Braid, Sony's own Tokyo Jungle and Housemarque's Super Stardust HD. It also includes full seasons of episode Telltale-developed games Back to the Future and Jurassic Park as well as the adventure studio's five-game Tales of Monkey Island bundle. The full list of games included in this weekend's sale can be found after the break.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>back-to-the-futurebraidflash-saleHousemarquejurassic-parkplants-vs-zombiesplaystationplaystation-vitaps2-classicsps3PSNPSN-Storepsone-classicspspsalesonySuper-Stardust-HDtokyo-junglevitaweekendFri, 18 Apr 2014 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/16/bust-a-move-4-busting-up-the-playstation-network-this-spring/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/16/bust-a-move-4-busting-up-the-playstation-network-this-spring/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/16/bust-a-move-4-busting-up-the-playstation-network-this-spring/#comments
Natsume announced that it will release a digital PSone Classics version of Taito's Bust-a-Move 4 this spring, bringing the classic bubble-bursting puzzler to the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita.

Bust-a-Move 4 expands on the color-matching gameplay of Taito's arcade-born Puzzle Bobble series with new pulley mechanics, challenging players to balance bubble clusters throughout its single-player Puzzle mode. The game also includes a friendship-straining competitive Versus mode, along with an Edit mode that allows players to create and save up to 25 custom level layouts.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bust-a-move-4natsumeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psonepsone-classicspspsonytaitovitaWed, 16 Apr 2014 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/psn-tuesday-thief-pac-man-museum-lords-of-shadow-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/psn-tuesday-thief-pac-man-museum-lords-of-shadow-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/25/psn-tuesday-thief-pac-man-museum-lords-of-shadow-2/#comments
The PlayStation Store updated today with new games across every platform, led by the launches of Thief and Basement Crawl on PS4. Thief joins another new release in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 on PS3 this week.

PS3 owners can pick up The Batman Bundle, which includes Batman: Arkham Origins and the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns animated film as well as the Tales of Symphonia Chronicles bundle that comprises both Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. Rounding out this week's PS3 additions is Magus and Pac-Man Museum, the latter being a $20 pack of games spanning the yellow gobbler's series.

Vita owners only get one new game this week: Mahjong 2 World Contest, as well as PSOne Classic Herc's Adventures, also available on PS3 and PSP. Though Vita owners can now download the Crackle app to watch movies and TV shows, the marquee media streaming addition this week is the WWE Network app on PS3 and PS4.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Basement-Crawlbatman-arkham-originscastlevania-lords-of-shadow-2Eidos-Montrealmagusmahjong-2-world-contestpac-man-museumplaystationPlayStation-Storeplaystation-vitaps3ps4PSNpsn-tuesdaypsone-classicspspsonySquare-EnixTales-of-SymphoniaTales-of-Symphonia-Chroniclesthief-2014thief-4vitawwewwe-networkTue, 25 Feb 2014 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/tomba-2-caps-off-latest-psone-retro-batch-from-monkeypaw/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/tomba-2-caps-off-latest-psone-retro-batch-from-monkeypaw/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/13/tomba-2-caps-off-latest-psone-retro-batch-from-monkeypaw/#comments
Niche-focused publisher MonkeyPaw Games has revealed a slate of six classic PSOne games set to launch digitally via the PlayStation Network through January and February.

The studio's Retro Rush campaign will conclude on February 18 with the PSN re-release of Tomba 2: The Evil Swine Return, a cult-favorite platformer originally released in 1999. MonkeyPaw previously oversaw a PSN reissue of the original Tombaback in 2012.

Building up to Tomba 2's return, MonkeyPaw will launch a new PSOne import game weekly, starting with tomorrow's release of Double Dragon. No, it's probably not the Double Dragon that you're thinking of - it's a port of a Neo Geo fighter loosely based on the 1994 film adaptation of Double Dragon, not the original 1987 arcade game.

MonkeyPaw will finish out January with PSN releases for Toshiba EMI's beat-'em-up Lucifer Ring and Human's firefighting sim The Firemen 2: Pete and Danny. February will see the release of Nichibutsu's arcade revamp Hyper Crazy Climber and Data East's horizontally scrolling shoot-'em-up Wolf Fang before Tomba 2 hits on February 18.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crazy-climberdouble-dragonmonkeypaw-gamesplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psonepsone-classicspsone-importspspsonytombatomba-2vitaMon, 13 Jan 2014 22:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/23/get-three-psone-games-free-via-playstation-home-scavenger-hunt/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/23/get-three-psone-games-free-via-playstation-home-scavenger-hunt/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/23/get-three-psone-games-free-via-playstation-home-scavenger-hunt/#commentsPlayStation Home has been updated with a virtual PlayStation 4 area, where users can embark upon a most mighty and epic quest. A "Quest For Greatness" as Home calls it. Okay, so maybe it's less "epic" and more "find 13 hidden cards," but PSOne games Twisted Metal, Warhawk, and Destruction Derby are yours for the taking should you complete the hunt, along with lots of PS4-branded virtual swag.

The Quest For Greatness can be accessed via the Experience PlayStation 4 area, which is connected to the Home main hub. Inside the Experience PS4 area is a giant PlayStation Vita, and it is here your quest begins. Reddit posters have claimed that the ordeal shouldn't take more than roughly 10 minutes, so if that amount of time for three PSOne games playable on your PS3 and Vita sounds worth it, log onto PlayStation Home and get to collecting.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>destruction-derbyfreeplaystationplaystation-homeplaystation-vitaps3psonepsone-classicstwisted-metalvitawarhawkSat, 23 Nov 2013 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/sony-launches-pocketstation-app-on-vita-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/sony-launches-pocketstation-app-on-vita-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/05/sony-launches-pocketstation-app-on-vita-in-japan/#comments
The PocketStation was a small memory card with a monochrome LCD screen and five buttons that launched for Sony's first PlayStation console in 1999, allowing players to complete mini-games while away from their systems. Clearly feeling a little nostalgic, Sony has launched a PocketStation app for Vita in Japan. The app is free for PlayStation Plus users, and is compatible with classic PS One games that used the device in its heyday like Final Fantasy 8, Ape Escape and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped.

The hardware manufacturer teased a return of the handheld device last week, though it was unclear whether Sony's plans involved a new physical device at all. As it stands, the PocketStation app is limited to Japanese Vita owners, and there is no indication yet that it will come stateside or launch on PS3 or PS4.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appJapanplaystationplaystation-classicsplaystation-plusplaystation-vitapocketstationPSonepsone-classicsvitaTue, 05 Nov 2013 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/psone-imports-get-extra-challenging-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/psone-imports-get-extra-challenging-this-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/psone-imports-get-extra-challenging-this-week/#commentsLooking for a new challenge from an old game? Gungho Online Entertainment has a new batch of PSOne Imports this week, which includes Sentimental Graffiti, a dating game that is, as far as we know, untranslated. Do you dare attempt to scale the walls of Japanese text?

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GungHo-Online-Entertainmentplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psone-classicspsone-importspspsonyvitaMon, 11 Mar 2013 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/psa-two-tomba-games-out-now-on-european-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/psa-two-tomba-games-out-now-on-european-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/29/psa-two-tomba-games-out-now-on-european-psn/#commentsTomba! and Tomba! 2 are out now on the PSone Classics section of the European PSN for £6.99 each, a MonkeyPaw Games rep told Joystiq today. The games, ports of the original NTSC versions, had some emulation issues but are now available for download on PS3 and Vita.

Additionally, Tomba! 2 is being discussed with SCEA for release in North America, and would be available on PSN for PS3 and Vita as well. Tomba! was originally scheduled to launch on the European PSN in September.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3PSNpsone-classicstombatomba-2vitaSat, 29 Dec 2012 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/gungho-on-its-new-psone-import-initiative/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/gungho-on-its-new-psone-import-initiative/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/gungho-on-its-new-psone-import-initiative/#comments Welcome to Living in the Past, a weekly column about what's new in old games. Now get off our lawn.

Last week, GungHo Online Entertainment America joined the ranks of PSOne Imports publishers with a bumper crop of six Japanese games, all available on the PlayStation Store for $5.99 each. Since it's so rare - an initiative only taken to heart by MonkeyPaw Games in the past, and one that requires extensive licensing work for a potentially niche product - I asked Gungho president and CEO Jun Iwasaki about the company's plans.

"We are hoping to bring over as many PSOne Classics as possible," Iwasaki, who previously ran XSEED, told me, "but oftentimes these releases require license deals." He explained that the somewhat unusual collection of games, ranging from shooter collection Zanac X Zanac to dekotora board game Art Camion Sugorokuden, wasn't curated according to some unifying theme. "We were able to secure the licenses for these particular PSOne Classics, so we went ahead and released them first.

"So far, Zanac x Zanac seems to be getting the most attention out of the six titles," Iwasaki added.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GungHo-Online-Entertainmentliving-in-the-pastplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psnpsone-classicspsone-importspspsonyvitaTue, 11 Dec 2012 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/solving-the-3d-platforming-problem-in-jumping-flash/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/solving-the-3d-platforming-problem-in-jumping-flash/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/solving-the-3d-platforming-problem-in-jumping-flash/#comments This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.

I never owned a PlayStation during the 32-bit era. I had a Sega Saturn, which I loved, though that didn't stop me from envying my PlayStation-owning friends. I was lucky enough to play a handful of games on friends' consoles - Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Vagrant Story - but I missed out on most of the games that would help solidify Sony's legacy in the game industry.

One of those games was Jumping Flash. It was a platformer, and it was in 3D, a mind-boggling concept back in 1995. With no PlayStation, all I had were magazines filled with glowing reviews and screenshots, showcasing a beautiful, colorful world and a cool mechanical rabbit. With YouTube still a decade away, I couldn't even watch a Let's Play. All I could do was imagine, imagine what it must be like to leap and soar over those wonderful floating islands.

Now, thanks to the magic of PSOne Classics and a Black Friday Vita purchase, I can play it pretty much whenever I want. I've done so for the past few days, and it turns out that Jumping Flash holds up surprisingly well. Not only that, it makes for a great portable game.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jumping-flashmaking-timeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psnpsone-classicsvitaWed, 05 Dec 2012 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/gungho-releases-six-psone-imports/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/gungho-releases-six-psone-imports/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/gungho-releases-six-psone-imports/#commentsJoining the esteemed ranks of Capcom and MonkeyPaw Games and nobody else ever, publisher Gungho Online America has released a suite of weird, random Japanese games to the PSOne Imports Store on the PlayStation Network.

The six simultaneous releases include shmup compilation Zanac X Zanac, Kendo Rage sequel Makeruna Makendo 2, mech vehicle combat game Vehicle Cavalier, Art Camion Sugorokuden - a board game about the garish "dekotora" trucks in Japan - and no fewer than two games with stars in their titles, the match-three puzzle game/platformer hybrid Lup★Salad and the action rock-paper-scissors game Finger★Flashing.

All six will be available on PSN today when the store updates, for $5.99 each.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GungHo-Online-Entertainmentplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psnpsone-classicspsone-importspsprelease-datesonyvitaTue, 04 Dec 2012 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/30/sony-adds-26-more-psone-games-to-vita-store/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/30/sony-adds-26-more-psone-games-to-vita-store/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/30/sony-adds-26-more-psone-games-to-vita-store/#commentsThe North American PS Vita store launched its PSOne Classics section this week with a ... modest selection. However, SCEA is showing an impressive effort to fix the situation, adding 26 more games to the store for download today - on a Thursday, not the usual PlayStation Store update day.

The newly buyable games include classics like Klonoa, Alundra, Grandia, Tomba, and several others that don't end with the letter A. The full list is after the break. Of course, there are still dozens of other games that you can get on your Vita by buying them on PS3 and transferring - and it's still a phased rollout of games that are already on PSN - why? But this is a step toward making them available in a sensible manner.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationplaystation-vitapsnpsone-classicsvitaThu, 30 Aug 2012 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/28/vitas-psone-support-is-a-classic-blunder/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/28/vitas-psone-support-is-a-classic-blunder/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/28/vitas-psone-support-is-a-classic-blunder/#commentsWelcome to Living in the Past, a weekly column about what's new in old games. Now get off our lawn.

The PlayStation Vita officially supports PSOne Classics games now. But not all of them, at least not officially. As of today, you'll be able to get .... thirteen of them from the PlayStation Store directly through the Vita. You can get many that aren't on the store, if you have previously bought them on PS3 or PSP, by checking your account's download history and downloading from there.

But that doesn't work for every game - many PSOne games are not available for download onto Vita through your history. Many of those can be copied to Vita from PS3 ... if you happen to have them sitting on your PS3 without installing them. And that doesn't cover all games either.

This is absurdly complicated, and doesn't make a damn bit of sense. And it's completely familiar to any Vita owner who has tried to copy their digital PSP collection over.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationplaystation-vitapsnpsone-classicsvitaTue, 28 Aug 2012 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/28/report-vita-workaround-lets-you-transfer-more-psone-games-from/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/28/report-vita-workaround-lets-you-transfer-more-psone-games-from/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/28/report-vita-workaround-lets-you-transfer-more-psone-games-from/#commentsA YouTube user found a way to transfer more PlayStation 1 games to the PlayStation Vita using yesterday's firmware update, as opposed to the nine listed on the PlayStation blog. YouTube user FistFullofPotions discovered that downloading PSOne games to the PS3, leaving them uninstalled, then transferring them from the PS3 to the Vita seems to work across the board. As he notes in the video above, this is done at your own risk as these games haven't gone through Sony's quality control. We've confirmed the method with a couple of games, while NeoGAF and Twitter users also had success with it.

The workaround does more than enable more PSOne games on the Vita - it serves to highlight the strangely low number of PSOne games available on Vita in the US, especially when compared to the 129 listed in Europe and the 200+ in Japan. We also discovered at least a couple of unlisted games, Cho Aniki and Money Idol Exchanger, can be downloaded to Vita the usual way and apparently run OK. These games can be downloaded from the Vita PS Store. As long as there is a download button next to a PSOne game on your download list, it can be downloaded straight to Vita, no PS3 required. This is the same 'side-loading' method used to get PSP games that aren't available on the Vita store onto Vitas

Update: NeoGAF has a users-confirmed list of PSOne games that can be transferred using the PS3, and those that can be downloaded from the Vita store as well (in bold). The full list is after the break.

Outside of the addition of PSOne Classics, v1.80 also adds the option for d-pad navigation. Users can go into settings and enable d-pad controls for menu navigation, which was previously touch screen-only. The PS Vita browser has been expanded, as well - all of which is demonstrated in the video above.

Update: As always seems to be the case with Sony backwards compatibility, it's more complicated than release lists make it out to be. Two games from our previous download list, Cho Aniki and Money Idol Exchanger - both PSOne Imports published by MonkeyPaw - downloaded to Vita from our accounts. We've only tested Cho Aniki so far, but it runs. Neither of these games are on either Sony's or MonkeyPaw's list of supported games.

Um Jammer Lammy, another PSOne game missing from today's release list, was not downloadable on Vita, proving that not all PSOne games are active - but some that aren't listed are.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.80playstationplaystation-vitapsone-classicsupdatevitaMon, 27 Aug 2012 22:24:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/27/arc-the-lad-series-tomba-among-vita-psone-classics-launch-lineu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/27/arc-the-lad-series-tomba-among-vita-psone-classics-launch-lineu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/27/arc-the-lad-series-tomba-among-vita-psone-classics-launch-lineu/#commentsMonkeyPaw Games will make five of its PSOne Imports and Classics available to Vita users tomorrow, when the new firmware adds PSOne support to the handheld. Alundra, Arc the Lad 1 and 2, Vanguard Bandits, and the recently released Tomba will all be playable on Vita in North America starting tomorrow, the publisher told Joystiq.

The overall list of supported PSOne Classics for tomorrow's Vita launch, outside of MonkeyPaw's offerings, is largely a mystery. When announcing the feature at E3, Sony showed off a selection of games including Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy VII, Wild Arms, Twisted Metal 2, Cool Boarders 2, and Jet Moto, but didn't say if those games would be part of the launch lineup.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationplaystation-vitapsone-classicsvitaTue, 14 Aug 2012 13:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/16/upcoming-ps-plus-deals-dyad-20-off-free-psone-sports-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/16/upcoming-ps-plus-deals-dyad-20-off-free-psone-sports-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/16/upcoming-ps-plus-deals-dyad-20-off-free-psone-sports-games/#commentsThis Tuesday, PlayStation Plus users will get to crack their brains open for less, as Dyad is 20% off for members of the premium service. It'll launch for $11.99 for Plus ($14.99 for everyone else).

Next week, Malicious will launch at 20 percent off, and then that will lead right into PSN Play. So ... the only difference between now and PSN Play is that you get some money back and a PS3 theme for buying the games that come out later this month. The Plus discount is the same!

You'll be able to get a couple free games tomorrow on PS3 (and on PSP, through your PS3): the PSOne Classic games International Track & Field and Hot Shots Golf 2. These two freebies lead into a 50 percent off sale on unspecified games for Plus members.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dyadhot-shots-golf-2international-track-and-fieldplaystationps3psone-classicspspsonyMon, 16 Jul 2012 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/03/vita-firmware-1-8-to-add-psone-classics-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/03/vita-firmware-1-8-to-add-psone-classics-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/03/vita-firmware-1-8-to-add-psone-classics-support/#commentsThe next Vita firmware update will add the PSOne Classics support originally announced during E3. There's no exact date for version 1.8, but it's due sometime this summer.

The update won't simply enable all PSOne Classics; according to Sony representatives, support for PSOne games will be rolled out a few at a time following the new firmware. The good news is you'll just have to buy (or have already bought) each supported game once for use on PS3, PSP, or Vita.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firmwareplaystationplaystation-vitapsone-classicsvitaTue, 03 Jul 2012 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/06/vita-psone-classics-to-be-rolled-out-gradually/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/06/vita-psone-classics-to-be-rolled-out-gradually/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/06/vita-psone-classics-to-be-rolled-out-gradually/#commentsPSOne Classics will soon be compatible with PlayStation Vita, finally. However, the launch won't just be flipping a switch on all the PSOne Classics available on PSP and PS3. Instead, Vita PSOne Classics will be rolled out gradually starting this summer, Sony informed Joystiq today.

If you've previously bought any newly Vita-compatible PSOne Classic, you'll be able to download it for free on Vita. The exact launch lineup wasn't announced, but expect it to include the games shown at Sony's press conference: Wild Arms, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy 7, Twisted Metal 2, Arc the Lad, Cool Boarders 2, and Jet Moto.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2012playstationplaystation-vitapsnpsone-classicsvitaWed, 06 Jun 2012 14:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/01/tomba-arrives-on-psn-june-19-for-10/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/01/tomba-arrives-on-psn-june-19-for-10/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/01/tomba-arrives-on-psn-june-19-for-10/#commentsThe response was enthusiastic to our announcement of Tomba!'s impending arrival - we're guessing people have been looking at the astronomical eBay prices. Those of you who were thrilled to hear about the pink-haired caveman's digital thaw will likely be equally thrilled to hear that it's happening very soon: June 19, in fact, at a $9.99 price point. That's on the higher end of PSOne Classics prices, but on the far low end of Tomba! prices.

MonkeyPaw also shared the above trailer. End your work week on a 2.5D note and watch!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationps3psnpsone-classicspspq2-2012release-datesonytombaFri, 01 Jun 2012 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/starhawk-online-pass-grants-free-warhawk-download-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/starhawk-online-pass-grants-free-warhawk-download-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/starhawk-online-pass-grants-free-warhawk-download-in-europe/#commentsThere's a good chance a lot of Starhawk players haven't experienced the game that started it all, let alone for free. Every new copy of Starhawk comes bundled with a free copy of Warhawk (PSOne) in Europe.

It's part of the online pass voucher, which is visible on the back of the instruction booklet for Starhawk. Once you input the code and unlock online functionality, the original Warhawk will be added to your download list. Here in The States, however, you need to grab one of the first-run "limited editions" available exclusively at GameStop.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europelightboxlightbox-interactiveplaystationps3psonepsone-classicsstarhawkwarhawkWed, 09 May 2012 23:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/understanding-the-legend-of-dragoon/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/understanding-the-legend-of-dragoon/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/understanding-the-legend-of-dragoon/#commentsThis is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.

The year 2000 was incredible for console RPGs developed in Japan. I'm sitting here looking at the list, and so many pantheon level games jump out at me. Final Fantasy IX, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, Front Mission 3, Valkyrie Profile and Super Robot Taisen Alpha (the first of the franchise's "modern" entries) all came out that year. There's also Legend of Dragoon, Sony's erstwhile attempt to piggyback on the success of SquareSoft. And as it happens, it hit the PSN this week.

The impending arrival of The Legend of Dragoon has brought with it a wave of nostalgia from some very vocal fans; and boy, they will not brook any criticism of their favorite game. Just look at what happened when 1UP asked why they should care about Legend of Dragoon: blanket proclamations that it's the PS1's most underrated RPG, and by the way, a true classic.

Was it though? Have we all somehow overlooked a true gem of a JRPG? I don't think so. I would take every one of the RPGs I listed in the introduction over Legend of Dragoon. I do, however, think that Legend of Dragoon has its place in RPG history.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Legend-of-DragoonplaystationPlayStation-Networkps3PSNpsone-classicsSCEISony-Computer-EntertainmentWed, 02 May 2012 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/psone-classic-for-vita-released-early-in-europe-doesnt-work-ye/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/psone-classic-for-vita-released-early-in-europe-doesnt-work-ye/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/psone-classic-for-vita-released-early-in-europe-doesnt-work-ye/#commentsEuropean PS Vita users were able to purchase the first PSOne Classic to be released on the platform yesterday. But don't get too excited - it didn't work. And it was Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. The game could be purchased, but presented errors when users attempted to run it or view the manual, suggesting that PSOne Classics support is not quite ready on the Vita.

However, the "LiveArea" for the game - the screen that pops up when you tap a game's icon, where you can choose to launch the game, view the manual, check the store for DLC, etc. - displayed a custom PSOne-style background, suggesting that, at least, some work has been put in on the Vita's PSOne emulation.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buzz-lightyear-of-star-commandleakplaystationplaystation-vitapsnpsone-classicsvitaThu, 26 Apr 2012 14:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/psone-classics-and-other-game-archives-wont-work-on-vita-at-lau/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/psone-classics-and-other-game-archives-wont-work-on-vita-at-lau/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/psone-classics-and-other-game-archives-wont-work-on-vita-at-lau/#comments
There's no more confusion about whether or not the PS Vita will run PSOne Classics and other "Game Archives" games (that's the umbrella term used in Japan for Sony's retro games -- PSOne and PC Engine/Turbografx-16, along with, presumably, PS2) at launch. Unfortunately, the answer to that lingering question is a firm, and bewildering, no.

The Japanese Vita FAQ, which initially noted that the Vita will play all downloadable PSP games except for Archives releases, cemented that in an answer to the direct question of whether or not the device will support old downoaded games. According to the FAQ, Game Archives games will not be compatible with the device at launch. "Plans for future measures will be announced shortly," the (Google-translated) FAQ notes.

There's no reason to suspect that there's a technical issue with running old PlayStation, PC Engine, and PS2 games on the powerful Vita. It's more likely that Sony's figuring out how to square the existing PlayStation Store for consoles with the PlayStation Suite version of the store, which offers a different and smaller selection of PSOne games. That hasn't been a problem so far ... because there hasn't been a device that could theoretically use both stores yet.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>game-archivesjapanplaystationplaystation-vitapsone-classicsretrovitaMon, 28 Nov 2011 16:42:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/vanguard-bandits-atacs-psn-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/vanguard-bandits-atacs-psn-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/09/vanguard-bandits-atacs-psn-next-week/#comments
Square Enix is enticing vintage RPG fans with a PSOne Classics "Winter of RPGs" promotion. It's not alone in populating the store with new old RPGs, however. MonkeyPaw Games informed us that Vanguard Bandits will be released in North America on November 15, for $9.99. That puts it right between Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy V.

Vanguard Bandits is a strategy RPG developed by Human Entertainment, and published in North America by Working Designs. Players battle giant robots called ATACs (All Terrain Armored Combatants, of course) in grid-based environments.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>monkeypaw-gamesplaystationps3psnpsone-classicspspsonyvanguard-banditsworking-designsWed, 09 Nov 2011 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/pegi-rates-fear-effect-series-fighting-force-2-for-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/pegi-rates-fear-effect-series-fighting-force-2-for-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/pegi-rates-fear-effect-series-fighting-force-2-for-ps3/#comments
So, PEGI, the European game ratings board, has ratedFighting Force 1, Fighting Force 2, Fear Effect and Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix for PS3. The most likely explanation, of course, is that the titles are all headed to PSN as PSone Classics, at least in Europe (the original Fighting Force is already available in North America).

Apart from the "controversial" lesbian overtones in Fear Effect 2, perhaps the most interesting note about the titles is that the Fighting Force series was developed by Core Design, the same studio that brought us Tomb Raider. Yes, thatTomb Raider. Also noteworthy, Fighting Force was originally intended to be Streets of Rage 4 for the Sega Saturn. Also also noteworthy, the game kind of sucks.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europefear-effectfear-effect-2-retro-helixfighting-forcefighting-force-2playstationps3psnpsone-classicsMon, 07 Nov 2011 14:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/chrono-cross-final-fantasy-5-and-6-all-coming-to-psn-in-coming/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/chrono-cross-final-fantasy-5-and-6-all-coming-to-psn-in-coming/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/chrono-cross-final-fantasy-5-and-6-all-coming-to-psn-in-coming/#comments
If you, like us, have felt jilted as other territories received a glut of Square Enix RPGs while the U.S. got table scraps, it's time to relieve yourself of your worries. PlayStation Blog has just announced the "Winter of RPGs" campaign, which will see the release of three much-desired PSOne Classics on the PSN: Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy 5 and Final Fantasy 6.

You'll be able to grab the character-rich Chrono Cross next Tuesday, November 8, the career-oriented Final Fantasy 5 on November 22, and the positively operatic Final Fantasy 6 on December 6. It's nice that they'll finally be on there -- though forcing them to compete for our free time with Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3 and Assassin's Creed: Revelations seems, well, kind of mean.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chrono-crossfinal-fantasy-5final-fantasy-6final-fantasy-vfinal-fantasy-viplaystationps3psnpsone-classicspspq4-2011release-daterpgsonysquare-enixThu, 03 Nov 2011 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/magical-drop-and-diy-shmup-maker-dezaemon-kids-on-psn-imports-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/magical-drop-and-diy-shmup-maker-dezaemon-kids-on-psn-imports-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/01/magical-drop-and-diy-shmup-maker-dezaemon-kids-on-psn-imports-to/#comments
MonkeyPaw Games returns today with more PSOne imports, including a second Dezaemon shooter-creation utility! Available today for $6, Dezaemon Kids further simplifies the creation interface for scrolling shooters, and -- oh yeah -- throws in over 100 sample games. It's a good thing the interface is designed with simplicity in mind, because as with all the PSOne imports, the text is presented in the original Japanese.

The other game, Arcade Hits: Magical Drop, is a port of the original arcade game in Data East's beloved color-matching puzzle series. Both will be available whenever the PSN update happens today.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dezaemon-kidsmagical-dropmonkeypaw-gamesplaystationps3psnpsone-classicspspsonyTue, 01 Nov 2011 17:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/esrb-darkstalkers-stalking-psone-classics-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/esrb-darkstalkers-stalking-psone-classics-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/28/esrb-darkstalkers-stalking-psone-classics-release/#comments
Here's some super spooky pre-Halloween news for you: a (haunted?) ESRB rating reveals plans to re-release the monster-mash fighting game, Darkstalkers: The Night Warrior, on PS3 and PSP, as a PSOne Classic. Unfortunately, there's no way the game will hit in time for our scariest holiday, as there's no announced release date and the next PSN update will occur after Halloween.

Not that there's anything wrong with playing this game for its own merits instead of its seasonality. If you've never played it before, this will be an excellent (cheap) opportunity to check out one of Capcom's lost fighting game series. A $6 emulated version isn't exactly a "revival" of the series that has been mostly absent from Capcom's renewed fighter output, but might lead to one.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomDarkstalkersesrbplaystationps3psnpsone-classicspspsonyFri, 28 Oct 2011 10:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/playstation-store-available-for-the-one-playstation-certified-ta/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/playstation-store-available-for-the-one-playstation-certified-ta/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/19/playstation-store-available-for-the-one-playstation-certified-ta/#comments
Sony's PlayStation Suite cross-platform initiative continues its gradual, piecemeal rollout, with the arrival of the PlayStation Store for PlayStation Certified devices -- a category that, as of this moment, includes the Sony Tablet S and nothing else. Eventually, it'll include the Sony Tablet P, other Android devices, and the PlayStation Vita (which will, of course, have access to the normal PlayStation Store as well).

And before you get your hopes up about seeing what kind of new cross-platform experiences PlayStation Suite can provide, it's just PSOne Classics right now. Tablet S owners have a selection of ten PSOne games, for $5.99 each, including Cool Boarders, Hot Shots Golf 2, and, oh hey, Jumping Flash!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidmobileplaystation-storeplaystation-suitepsone-classicssony-tablettablet-sWed, 19 Oct 2011 13:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/sony-looking-into-umd-download-discount-for-vita-hedging-about/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/sony-looking-into-umd-download-discount-for-vita-hedging-about/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/13/sony-looking-into-umd-download-discount-for-vita-hedging-about/#comments
It wouldn't be a PlayStation system without complicated backwards compatibility issues. A new Japanese-language FAQ posted by Sony offers some new wrinkles, both potentially good and bad.

The FAQ notes that Sony is "considering" a service to offer PSN versions of the UMD games users own for a "special price." This isn't a confirmation, but at least Sony is looking into some method to make it possible to play the UMD games you bought on your Vita. "Details of this service will be announced at a later date." That's the good news.

The bad news: the FAQ says that the Vita will play all downloadable PSP games ... except for Game Archives, which is the Japanese label for PSOne Classics, Neo Geo games, and other retro downloads. Sony will have more details about this limitation later, but the fact that there's more to it than "they all work" is troubling. We really hope we'll be able to play the PSOne games we've already bought ... and that we won't have to buy them again in their Android/PlayStation Suite incarnations.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationportal-2ps2-classicsps3psnpsn-tuesdaypsone-classicspspsonyTue, 04 Oct 2011 23:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/chrono-cross-final-fantasy-origins-rated-for-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/chrono-cross-final-fantasy-origins-rated-for-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/chrono-cross-final-fantasy-origins-rated-for-psn/#comments
Oh, Chrono Cross? And Final Fantasy Origins, which includes the franchise's first two NES installments? You mean those games that have been available in other territories' PlayStation Stores for a few months now, leaving us to stew in a bog of our own jealousy? You're telling us that they were recently rated to be released on the North American PlayStation Network? Well, guess what -- we don't care anymore.

We don't care that we'll be able to play Chrono Cross on our PSP, taking the magical adventures of Serge, Kid (and a third party to be named later) on the bus with us. Maybe if you'd gotten to us a few months ago, our hearts wouldn't be so cold and calloused.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chrono-crossesrbfinal-fantasy-originsplaystationps3psnpsone-classicspspsonyThu, 22 Sep 2011 14:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/japanese-american-import-psone-games-coming-to-euro-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/japanese-american-import-psone-games-coming-to-euro-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/01/japanese-american-import-psone-games-coming-to-euro-psn/#comments
The North American PSN features a PSOne Imports store, to sell previously Japan-exclusive games digitally. SCEE is expanding the idea for the European PS Store, announcing an initiative to publish US and Japanese games in that region. No titles have been announced yet.

Publishers of US/Japanese games can now apply to release their PSOne games on the European store, in an "as is" format -- meaning no additional localization. "This also means that if a PAL version of a title has been unable to pass QA in SCEE, but the NTSC version is already available on the PlayStation Store in SCEA or SCEJ," said SCEE PS Store rep Rich McGrath, "we can look at publishing that version instead." As long as it gets through the ratings boards, that is.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europeimportsplaystationplaystation-storeps3psnpsone-classicspspsonyMon, 01 Aug 2011 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/esrb-dreams-up-klonoa-door-to-phantomile-on-ps3-and-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/esrb-dreams-up-klonoa-door-to-phantomile-on-ps3-and-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/18/esrb-dreams-up-klonoa-door-to-phantomile-on-ps3-and-psp/#comments
When we saw this news, our giant wing-like ears flapped in excitement and we exclaimed in a nonsensical language. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, one of the PlayStation's best (and only) side-scrollers, is going to be released on PSN via PSOne Classics.

That is, of course, assuming that's why the ESRB rated the game for PS3 and PSP. It's a pretty safe assumption. If you don't want to wait for the Wind Bulleting, enemy-grabbing action to hit PS3 and PSP, Door to Phantomile is also available in a more modern form -- it was remade for Wii.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>esrbklonoaklonoa-door-to-phantomileplaystationps3psone-classicspspsonyMon, 18 Jul 2011 16:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/parasite-eve-2-rated-for-ps3-and-psp-by-esrb/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/parasite-eve-2-rated-for-ps3-and-psp-by-esrb/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/13/parasite-eve-2-rated-for-ps3-and-psp-by-esrb/#comments
The first Parasite Eve was released on PSN as a PSOne Classic on March 15, two weeks before The 3rd Birthday continued the series on PSP. Now, long after any hype for The 3rd Birthday has evaporated, Parasite Eve 2 is set to appear on PSN.

The ESRB has rated Parasite Eve 2 for PSP and PS3, indicating an intent to re-release the game on those two platforms at some point in the future. Whoever did the new rating decided to alter the content warnings from "animated blood and gore" and "animated violence" to just "blood and gore" and "violence." Regardless of the wording, the "mature" rating holds.